iPhone 14 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23: The Ultimate Showdown

The iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 represent the pinnacle of smartphone technology from Apple and Samsung respectively. Both offer stunning designs, powerful performance, and impressive camera systems, but which one truly comes out on top? This comprehensive comparison will break down every aspect to help you decide.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S23 edges out the iPhone 14 Pro with its superior battery life and faster charging. While the iPhone boasts a brighter display and generally smooth iOS experience, the S23's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 provides excellent performance and a more versatile camera system, making it a compelling choice for Android users.

PHONES
Phone Names Apple iPhone 14 Pro Samsung Galaxy S23
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2890, A28921, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2890, A28921, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 MbpsHSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A28911, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, September 072023, February 01
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, September 16Available. Released 2023, February 17
Body
BuildGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Dimensions147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9 mm (5.81 x 2.81 x 0.31 in)146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight206 g (7.27 oz)168 g (5.93 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)
Display
ProtectionCeramic Shield glassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size6.1 inches, 91.7 cm2 (~87.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeLTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
 Always-On displayAlways-on display
Platform
CPUHexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
ChipsetApple A16 Bionic (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUApple GPU (5-core graphics)Adreno 740
OSiOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
 NVMeUFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0
Main Camera
FeaturesDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF
Triple48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec.8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR, HDR10+
Single12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 -32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE5.3, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBLightning, USB 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving)Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Ion 3200 mAh (12.38 Wh)Li-Ion 3900 mAh
Misc
ColorsSpace Black, Silver, Gold, Deep PurplePhantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime
ModelsA2890, A2650, A2889, A2892, iphone15,2SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS
Price$ 395.67 / C$ 693.35 / £ 403.99 / € 492.99$ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990
SAR1.15 W/kg (head)     1.15 W/kg (body)0.95 W/kg (head)     0.88 W/kg (body)
SAR EU0.98 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)0.96 W/kg (head)     1.30 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 86h Endurance rating 101h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -26.2 LUFS (Good) -27.0 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 968412 (v9) GeekBench: 5346 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

  • Brighter Display
  • Excellent Video Recording
  • Smooth iOS Experience
  • Strong Ecosystem Integration

  • Slower Charging
  • Less Versatile Camera
  • Battery Life Could Be Better

Samsung Galaxy S23

  • Longer Battery Life
  • Faster Charging
  • Versatile Camera System
  • Reverse Wireless Charging
  • Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

  • Display Not as Bright as iPhone
  • Android OS (preference-based)

Display Comparison

The iPhone 14 Pro's display shines with a measured peak brightness of 1791 nits, significantly brighter than the Galaxy S23's 1198 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal) and vibrant colors, but the iPhone's brightness advantage makes it more visible in direct sunlight. The S23's display is still excellent, but doesn't quite reach the iPhone's peak.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer excellent camera systems. The iPhone 14 Pro excels in video recording and consistent image processing. The Galaxy S23 provides more versatility with its zoom capabilities and often produces more vibrant, saturated photos. Low-light performance is competitive on both devices, but the S23's processing can sometimes appear more aggressive.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 delivers exceptional performance, rivaling and often surpassing the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro in real-world usage. While the A16 is still incredibly powerful, the Snapdragon's efficiency and optimized architecture give the S23 a slight edge in sustained performance and gaming. Both phones handle demanding tasks with ease.

Battery Life

The Galaxy S23 takes a clear lead in battery life. With an endurance rating of 101h, it significantly outperforms the iPhone 14 Pro's 86h. The S23 also supports 25W wired charging (PD3.0) and reverse wireless charging, offering faster charging speeds and the ability to charge other devices. The iPhone 14 Pro's 15W MagSafe charging is slower.

Buying Guide

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro is ideal for users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, prioritizing a seamless user experience, and valuing a consistently bright display. The Samsung Galaxy S23 is perfect for Android enthusiasts who want top-tier performance, a versatile camera, and longer battery life, along with the added benefit of reverse wireless charging.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has better video quality?
The iPhone 14 Pro is generally considered to have slightly better video quality due to Apple's optimized video processing and cinematic mode.
❓ Is the Galaxy S23 worth switching to from an iPhone?
It depends on your priorities. If you value Android's customization options, longer battery life, and faster charging, then the S23 is a compelling option. However, switching ecosystems can be disruptive.